Free Prove It Letter Template – Don’t Pay Up Yet!

Getting a letter from a debt collection agency is stressful at the best of times. But when you don’t think the debt is yours, it can be even worse! So, the first thing to do is make sure you owe the money by using a free prove it letter template!

Read on to find out more about dealing with debt collection agencies and proving a debt is yours!

Do you have to pay debt collectors?

You might not have to pay debt collectors.

If you genuinely can’t afford your debt repayments then looking into whether you could have your written off might be just what you need. 

If you want to find out whether you qualify for having debt written off or payments lowered then fill out the short form below.

How do you prove a debt is not yours?

You may genuinely believe the debt is not yours for a number of reasons. More often than not, many people don’t recognise the company who contacts them. It’s a common dilemma that you may have to face too.

If you want to prove the debt is not yours, ask the debt collection agency to ‘prove’ it is. Also, gather as much proof of any payments you made before they contacted you.

Does a creditor have to prove the debt owed?

All debt collection agencies must mark a debt as ‘settled’ unless they can prove it isn’t! So basically, it’s up to the debt collector to prove you owe the money, not the other way around.

If this is the situation you face, you could send the debt collection agency a letter that goes something like this:

Dear Sir/Madam

Reference:

I write regarding your letter dated (date).

The debt to which you refer is not mine and would ask you to establish the opposite.

Please refer to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Consumer Credit sourcebook for the following:

• Pursuing and recovering repayments (7.5.3)
•  Settlements, disputed and deadlocked debt (7.14.1), (7.14.3), (7.14.4), (7.14.5)

When the debt is disputed, and payment is sought by neither an owner nor lender, the firm must:

• Provide information given by the customer to an actual owner or lender, or
• When an owner or lender has given the firm the authority to investigate a dispute, the firm must notify the owner or lender of the outcome of their investigation (7.14.6)

I, therefore, request evidence proving I am liable for the debt. Or please confirm that no further communication regarding the debt will be sent to me.

If I am pursued for the debt without having received evidence that I am liable, I’ll deem it as unfair and deceptive. As such, it could amount to psychological and/or physical harassment.

A failure to provide evidence that I am liable for the debt, or confirmation that you will no longer contact me, will result in my lodging a complaint with Trading Standards and the FCA.

Awaiting your prompt reply,

 Yours faithfully

Make sure you don’t sign the letter. Why? Because there are some disreputable debt collection agencies out there. They could scan your signature and use it on a credit agreement without your consent!

Moreover, debt collectors must provide:

• Authenticated proof the debt is yours
• Provide full details of who the money is owed to

Can you lower your repayments?

If you’re struggling to pay back your debt, then you might qualify for a debt solution.

Some solutions lower your monthly payments while others write off a portion of your debt. 

To find out whether they could work in your situation, hit the button below.

Get Started

What constitutes proof of a debt?

An original creditor must authenticate a proof of debt. However, an authorised person can also authenticate it. So, a debt collector can’t just say they ‘know’ you owe the debt. 

They must produce authenticated proof of debt!

Take a look at what happened to one person when they received a blurry document which was supposed to ‘prove’ the debt:

Source: Money Saving Expert

What should you do if it’s someone else’s debt?

You may get a letter from a debt collection agency sent to your address that’s not in your name. It often happens because a previous occupant forgot to update personal details with a lender.

You’re not obliged to respond if you get a letter addressed to someone else that’s sent to your address. Your credit history won’t be affected because the debt applies to the person, not the address.

That said, it’s better to reply to the debt collection agency to stop them from contacting and hassling you. Just let them know the person doesn’t live at that address anymore.

I’ve included a template of what you could say here:

Dear Sir/Madam

Reference details

I moved into the above address on (date) and confirm the person whose debt you are referring to, no longer lives here.

As I don’t have a forwarding address, I’m unable to inform you where they now live.

Please refrain from sending harassing letters to my address which I deem is harassment.

Kindly update your records and confirm this as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Don’t sign the letter

It’s also worth noting that some debt collection agencies may ask you for proof that the debtor doesn’t live at that address. But you are under no legal obligation to provide them with this information!

What debt help is available in the UK?

There are a number of debt charities in the UK some of which I’ve listed here.

“It will only get worse” 😩

It’s cliché to say, but with debt it’s true; the longer you leave it, the worse the problem gets. 

There are straightforward and effective ways to deal with debt, but you have to know your options. 

Fill out the short form to find out about the debt solutions that could reduce your monthly payments or even write off some of your debt.

Get Started

Lastly, free prove it letter template, don’t pay up yet!

When a debt collection agency contacts you over an alleged debt, you may go into panic mode. But until the debt can be proven, you shouldn’t agree to anything, pay anything or sign anything!

Instead, write a “prove the debt” letter by using a free template so you get it right! The debt collection agency can’t do anything until they provide you with a letter proving the debt is yours which has been authenticated!

Thanks for reading this post about “prove it” letters. Make sure you get hold of a free prove it letter template and send it to the debt collector as soon as possible. It’s the best way to gain some time and establish whether you owe money or not.